Rafa Benitez is determined to use Newcastle United’s week-long training camp in Ireland as a team-bonding exercise, as well as to ensure the players are in peak physical condition for the 2016/17 Championship campaign.

The Magpies have taken the majority of the first-team squad to County Kildare for a week of intense training ahead of their opening pre-season friendly against League of Ireland Premier Division side Bohemian on Saturday.

Fitness drills and ball-retention games have been used in order to help the players improve their conditioning during double daily training sessions.

However, on Tuesday afternoon the players were put into groups for some problem-solving exercises in order to improve communication and increase the team spirit within the camp.

“We know that the players are working hard so the idea was two training sessions a day but now we will have some activities and then try to improve the team spirit a little bit,” Benitez told nufcTV.

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

“It’s good when they have something to do together and then they will help each other, they will compete between themselves.

“I think it’s good for the team spirit.

“If it’s possible we try to encourage this because we know that when you have not done well on the pitch, sometimes the team spirit is more difficult to keep.

“The players are trying to do their best so hopefully they will enjoy this and they will be a little bit more compact after that and be ready for the next training session.”#

Rafa on the atmosphere:

All five of Newcastle’s new signings - Matz Sels, Dwight Gayle, Matt Ritchie, Jesus Gamez and Isaac Hayden - are across in Ireland, and Benitez believes they have settled into the group dynamic immediately.

“They have a good relationship between them, and they are all trying to impress.

“Again it’s pre-season so it’s easy for the manager because you don’t need to pick the team and everyone is happy.”

Rafa on fitness:

Benitez wants the Newcastle squad to be in peak physical condition once the new season kicks off against Fulham on August 5.

But the Spaniard is attempting to limit the amount of fitness drills United players do without the ball.

“Our idea is always to train as much as we can with the ball so we use the gym and we can run and little things,” the 56-year-old added.

“They are working hard with the ball on the pitch and we control how much they run and they are doing as much as we were expecting.”

Rafa on the Bohemians game:

As for United’s opening pre-season game on Saturday, Benitez’s is unconcerned about the result.

Instead, the focus for the Newcastle boss is to see his Magpies squad put everything they have been doing during training into practice during the clash with Bohemians.

The Magpies went unbeaten during the final six games of the 2015/16 campaign, and Benitez is determined to replicate the style of football United played during those half-dozen matches going forward.

Benitez continued: “The main thing is to try to show out on the pitch things we are doing in every single training session.

“The fans have seen how the team were playing the last few games of last season; we will try to do something similar.

“Hopefully we can do a good game but I am not too worried about that.

“I am more concerned about creating the team spirit, to give them some ideas about how we want to play, and to be ready for the next few weeks and to be sure to be ready for the first game of the season.”